Mind-Blowing Figures About Our Enormous Universe
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Chapter 1: The Magnitude of Our Universe
In the midst of daily life, it’s beneficial to occasionally step back and appreciate the larger context.
Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash
While it’s impressive to receive a package at your door with just a click, the vastness of the universe—whether we consider it a singular entity or a multiverse—is truly astonishing. Here are ten remarkable statistics about our expansive home, primarily sourced from Bill Bryson’s renowned book, A Short History of Nearly Everything.
Section 1.1: Age of the Universe
13,700,000,000 YEARS
This figure represents the estimated age of the universe. Our planet emerged around 4.5 billion years ago, while anatomically modern humans appeared approximately 200,000 years ago, indicating that our specific atomic structure has existed for a mere 0.004% of Earth's history.
Section 1.2: Atoms in the Human Body
7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
This figure, which amounts to 7 octillion, estimates the number of atoms in a 70-kilogram adult male. (Regrettably, I’ve accumulated a few extra atoms with age.) The overwhelming majority of these atoms—99%—are composed of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen.
Subsection 1.2.1: The Protons Within
500,000,000,000
This is an estimate of the number of protons—critical defining elements of those atoms—located in the dot of this letter "i".
Section 1.3: The Singularity
INFINITESIMALLY SMALL
This term describes something smaller than a proton, which was the size of the singularity that contained all matter before the Big Bang.
Section 1.4: Life Expectancy
665,000 HOURS
This represents the average life expectancy of an American. A reminder to get up and seize the day!
Section 1.5: Extinction Rates
99.99%
This statistic indicates the proportion of species that have existed throughout time but are now extinct.
Section 1.6: Stars in Our Galaxy
100,000,000,000
An estimate of the number of stars, including our sun, in the Milky Way. This figure also approximates the total number of galaxies in the universe.
Section 1.7: Cosmic Chances
LESS THAN ONE IN A BILLION TRILLION TRILLION
This statistic reflects the odds of finding yourself on or near a planet if randomly placed within the universe.
Section 1.8: Distance to Proxima Centauri
4.3 LIGHT YEARS
This is the distance from Earth to Proxima Centauri, the closest star beyond our sun, equivalent to 25 trillion miles, or 100 million times the distance to our moon, which is only 250,000 miles away.
Section 1.9: Earth to Sun Distance
93,000,000 MILES
This measurement signifies the distance between Earth and the sun—quite a manageable span when put into perspective.
Chapter 2: Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe
Staggering. Uplifting. Daunting. Humbling.
Regardless of your perspective, it's time to make good use of those atoms.
The first video, "10 Mind-Blowing Cosmic Mysteries - Unlocking the Universe," delves into the profound mysteries that lie within our cosmos, inviting viewers to explore the unknown aspects of the universe.
The second video, "Are there 10^272,000 Universes? - Numberphile," investigates the fascinating concept of multiple universes, challenging our understanding of reality.